**Official 2014 World Series Thread**

[LittleHurt05]

Why isn't Morse playing more?

 

He suffered an oblique injury in September, finally recovering from it.

[caulfield12]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/...re-low-so-what/

 

World Series ratings are low again, SO WHAT?

[greg775]

This is a compelling series so far. 1-1 heading to San Frisco.

I'd like to think the AL superiority will emerge and KC will win the series, but look at it realistically. Game Five is an automatic SF win (Shields vs. Madison B).

 

That means if KC splits games 3 and 4, KC returns home down 3-2 with two games to go. Can KC then sweep 2 at home to win it all? That's pretty difficult to do.

KC has to win one of game 3 and 4 or the season is over.

 

 

p.s. The talk shows here are calling for something radical in Game Five. One host said you start Duffy for 3 innings, then go right to Davis and Holland. One host said he'd actually start Holland. The fans are paranoid here about the Madison B game.

Edited October 24, 2014 by greg775

[BlackSox13]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/...re-low-so-what/

 

World Series ratings are low again, SO WHAT?

Great find Caulfield, I absolutely agree with the writer. Ratings mean absolutely nothing to me, if I desire to watch its because I'm interested and not because everyone else is.

 

Game 3 is going to be a good matchup. In the first two games it was easy to see which team had the edge based on the pitching matchups but game 3 is a much closer matchup, IMO.

 

I think the Giants may have a slight edge in game 3, slight. Should end up being the best game of the series so far.

[caulfield12]

Great find Caulfield, I absolutely agree with the writer. Ratings mean absolutely nothing to me, if I desire to watch its because I'm interested and not because everyone else is.

 

Game 3 is going to be a good matchup. In the first two games it was easy to see which team had the edge based on the pitching matchups but game 3 is a much closer matchup, IMO.

 

I think the Giants may have a slight edge in game 3, slight. Should end up being the best game of the series so far.

 

Hudson has a lot more experience in the playoffs, obviously, compared to Guthrie.

 

But who really knows?

 

I have a feeling that the Vargas/Vogelsong match-up is better for the Royals, but predicting anything in the post-season other than Bumgarner starts and the back 3 of the KC pen has been next to impossible.

[Jake]

People watching over MLB.tv and internationally are also not included in the ratings

[Kyyle23]

Yesterday on the Score they said that ratings are up 6%, so at least there is a little more interest.

[caulfield12]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...cle3338539.html

[LittleHurt05]

One run game, bottom of the 9th, Posey, Panda, Pence vs. Holland.

[Kyyle23]

One run game, bottom of the 9th, Posey, Panda, Pence vs. Holland.

 

0-fer Holland

[pettie4sox]

Great game tonight.

[LittleHurt05]

Is it time to start asking the question yet? Worst World Series champion, 2006 Cardinals or 2014 Royals?

[caulfield12]

Is it time to start asking the question yet? Worst World Series champion, 2006 Cardinals or 2014 Royals?

 

Not until the royals beat vogelsong or bumgarner tmrw night.

 

Vogelsong is official.

 

Don't want to pitch bumgarner twice on three days' rest.

Edited October 25, 2014 by caulfield12

[greg775]

Royals fans are starting to piss me off. They buried Yost on Twitter tonight. Second guessing is starting to become silly by fans of a team that has lost one postseason game so far.

They were furious he pitched Guthrie to start the sixth. I mean, f***, hindsight. WTF. The guy can't go out for the fricking sixth?

Then they were furious he let Herrera bat. Fair enough criticism I guess but he wanted Herrera to face the tough righty to lead off the inning.

 

Yost has a well oiled machine (great catches in right by Cain), great play on the bunt by Perez, clutch hit after moving Gordon up in the order but all he gets is grief from second guessing morons. Yes, Yost I guess is a horrible manager. But when you win games, you SHOULD shut your fan base up and those pricks aren't shutting up, just ripping Yost more and more with each victory.

Edited October 25, 2014 by greg775

[kitekrazy]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/...re-low-so-what/

 

World Series ratings are low again, SO WHAT?

 

Remember NBC Monday Night Baseball. When cable expanded, the Braves were on TBS, USA use to have a game of the week. Baseball seems to have lost nat'l exposure.

Now it's on Saturday and it's presentation is done poorly. I prefer to have broadcasters and journalists. Former athletes ruin it for me. I can't even watch the NFL anymore.

 

[Dick Allen]

Is it time to start asking the question yet? Worst World Series champion, 2006 Cardinals or 2014 Royals?

The 1987 Twins weren't exactly a juggernaut. Team ERA 4.63. They also had few postseason games to win. To me, they are the all time worst.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Dick Allen

[caulfield12]

Without the metrodome home field advantage for 1987/1991....those two series break to the national league teams.

[caulfield12]

Royals fans are starting to piss me off. They buried Yost on Twitter tonight. Second guessing is starting to become silly by fans of a team that has lost one postseason game so far.

They were furious he pitched Guthrie to start the sixth. I mean, f***, hindsight. WTF. The guy can't go out for the fricking sixth?

Then they were furious he let Herrera bat. Fair enough criticism I guess but he wanted Herrera to face the tough righty to lead off the inning.

 

Yost has a well oiled machine (great catches in right by Cain), great play on the bunt by Perez, clutch hit after moving Gordon up in the order but all he gets is grief from second guessing morons. Yes, Yost I guess is a horrible manager. But when you win games, you SHOULD shut your fan base up and those pricks aren't shutting up, just ripping Yost more and more with each victory.

 

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...cle3365191.html

That game was perfectly managed....without Cain in rf and Gordon moved up in the order they lose....same with using finnegan in relief of Herrera. Use Frasor instead or Herrera too long and they lose. One of the key situations was striking out belt there....when he could have used finnegan (lefty-lefty).

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2014/story...ps-managing-win

 

 

Edited October 25, 2014 by caulfield12

[pettie4sox]

Man Yost leaving the rookie in was just plain stupid. I know hindsight but still.

[greg775]

Royals fans are officially insane, at least the ones who use Twitter. Now they are incensed at Yost for not calling for the bunt. They wanted Duffy to bat and bunt. Had Duffy screwed up the bunt they'd have never forgiven Yost for having an AL pitcher bunt.

Also, these are the same fans who want Yost fired immediately for his use of the bunt whenever he calls for it. The Royals should just name Frank White manager for next year so these fans shut the f*** up.

 

KC got its ass handed to it tonight. Now it's 2-2 going into the Shields-Baumgarner matchup. I'll tell you one thing ... why is it so hard to get a pitcher to go more than 5 innings who is not named Baumgarner? You guys may despise Ozzie but I'll forever thank he and Coop for all those complete game outings from our starters in 05.

The way this Series has developed, every pitch is seen as crucial and tonight's game especially had no flow because of this. I'm surprised they even let Vargas go more than 2 innings the way the pace of this game was going. I'm surprised they didn't pinch hit for him.

 

It's 2-2 now with 2 of the next 3 in Kauffman. It's the Royals' fault if they can't win it. The AL was superior this year; no need for the Giants to win it again. I won't shed a tear for these Royals' fans, though. They are insane on Twitter. This bunt thing is an oxymoron. Yost can't win either way.

Edited October 26, 2014 by greg775

[LittleHurt05]

Royals fans are officially insane, at least the ones who use Twitter. Now they are incensed at Yost for not calling for the bunt. They wanted Duffy to bat and bunt. Had Duffy screwed up the bunt they'd have never forgiven Yost for having an AL pitcher bunt.

Also, these are the same fans who want Yost fired immediately for his use of the bunt whenever he calls for it. The Royals should just name Frank White manager for next year so these fans shut the f*** up.

 

KC got its ass handed to it tonight. Now it's 2-2 going into the Shields-Baumgarner matchup. I'll tell you one thing ... why is it so hard to get a pitcher to go more than 5 innings who is not named Baumgarner? You guys may despise Ozzie but I'll forever thank he and Coop for all those complete game outings from our starters in 05.

The way this Series has developed, every pitch is seen as crucial and tonight's game especially had no flow because of this. I'm surprised they even let Vargas go more than 2 innings the way the pace of this game was going. I'm surprised they didn't pinch hit for him.

 

It's 2-2 now with 2 of the next 3 in Kauffman. It's the Royals' fault if they can't win it. The AL was superior this year; no need for the Giants to win it again. I won't shed a tear for these Royals' fans, though. They are insane on Twitter. This bunt thing is an oxymoron. Yost can't win either way.

 

One of these days you will give credit to the 05 Sox rotation for being so good, instead of just using it as excuse to praise Ozzie.

[caulfield12]

Royals had that series by the cojones and let it get away.

They still will if they can manage to beat bumgarner.

 

Sandoval has a 4% chance of getting two consecutive hits as a righty and what does he do?

In retrospect...managing finnegan Collins Duffy Frasor in the fifth and sixth is like the back of ventura's pen with more talent/potential.

 

Most managers with the workload herreras had in games two and three..if you bring in Herrera to hold the tie against Sandoval you then run a huge risk of burning through your big three and having nobody to use tmrw night. Then again the result might already be a foregone conclusion.

 

At any rate the enduring image of this series in the what if category would be Vargas almost walking for a 5-1 lead and smiles/laughs all around. Petit might be the giants' post-season MVP by the way although it will surely go to bumgarner or Sandoval.

Edited October 26, 2014 by caulfield12

[greg775]

One of these days you will give credit to the 05 Sox rotation for being so good, instead of just using it as excuse to praise Ozzie.

 

The main reason I bring it up is to not glorify Oz any more but to point out the insanity of baseball. Managers won't let these pitchers go deep into games at all. It's ruining baseball. Every pitch was a crucial pitch in the third fricking inning. There's no rhythm to the games. A game in an NL park goes 4 fricking hours tonight?

Like I said, I wouldn't have been surprised had Vargas been pinch hit for in the third. Ridiculous. I contrast it to Ozzeroo who let our guys FINISH f***ing games heaven forbid.

[Quin]

One of these days you will give credit to the 05 Sox rotation for being so good, instead of just using it as excuse to praise Ozzie.

 

 

The main reason I bring it up is to not glorify Oz any more but to point out the insanity of baseball. Managers won't let these pitchers go deep into games at all. It's ruining baseball. Every pitch was a crucial pitch in the third fricking inning. There's no rhythm to the games. A game in an NL park goes 4 fricking hours tonight?

Like I said, I wouldn't have been surprised had Vargas been pinch hit for in the third. Ridiculous. I contrast it to Ozzeroo who let our guys FINISH f***ing games heaven forbid.

 

Greg, Ozzie did let them finish, but the '05 staff was on cruise control in the playoffs. Ozzie didn't pull them because it didn't make sense. They're pitch counts weren't high, opponents weren't hitting them, etc.

 

That being said, I do see where Greg is coming from to a degree.

[caulfield12]

The white sox weren't facing a situation except for game two against the angels where they were in danger.

 

With this game, it shifts from the royals having a 90% chance to win one of three to roughly 40% odds of winning two consecutive home games against a more experienced team that has posey Sandoval and pence to rely upon in crucial situations.